Contents
Year 6
Introduction
6-7
Narrative
Stories with flashbacks
Carrie’s War
Effective punctuation
Forming verb tenses
8-13 Traditional fairy tales
9 Alice
10 Powerful verbs
11 Antonyms
26-31
27
28
29
Fantasy worlds
14-19 Classic children’s fiction
32-37
Stories with historical settings
20-25 Mystery and adventure
38-43
The Wiggin
Effective adjectives
Unusual punctuation
15 Anne of Green Gables
16 Complex sentences
17 Abstract and concrete nouns
The Rise of Josiah Carruthers
Direct and indirect speech
Choosing vocabulary
21 Missing Words
22 Verb contractions
23 Indefinite and relative pronouns
33
34
35
39
40
41
Non-fiction
Biography
44-49 Persuasive argument
56-61
Reports
50-55 Explanation texts
62-67
68-73 Finding a voice
74-79
An Extraordinary Life
Personal and possessive pronouns
Active and passive verbs
KENILWORTH DROWNS!
Saving words
Types of adverbs
45 Dear Sir…
46 Conditional sentences
47 Rhetorical questions
51 How does light work?
52 Temporal and causal connectives
53 Active and passive voice
57
58
59
63
64
65
Poetry
Using imagery
To sleep
Similes and metaphors
Personification
69 Loveliest of trees
70 Alliteration and assonance
71 Onomatopoeia
75
76
77
Appendix
Glossary
Active Writers – Year 6
80-83
5
Introduction
About the series
Active Writers is a new and exciting literacy series, which
aims to provide children with the tools to become more
competent and confident writers.
This is done by using a structured approach, thus inviting
learners to:
ƒƒ Review what they know about a text genre
ƒƒ Learn about the writing devices used
ƒƒ Practise the language skills needed
ƒƒ Apply their learning in a writing task.
Active Writers expects greater independence of thought
of the children. It includes resources to ensure children can
assess their own progress in collaboration with their teacher
and therefore:
ƒƒ Self-Assessment is required
The lesson explores the writing style and key features of the
exemplar text and provides class, partner and independent
work support.
The language skills needed for the text type are identified,
explained and practised in the activities on the two ‘Practice
in Writing Skills’ sheets. Differentiation is also catered for.
Children are then ready for the writing task.
Guide notes are provided together with differentiated help
and a writing framework supplied for less confident writers.
At the end of the task, children will assess their finished piece.
The self-assessment sheet itemises the features the children
should have included. The clear tick-box format helps the
children to identify what they might have overlooked and
asks for written comments about what they might do to
improve their next writing in this genre.
The same sheet leaves space for the teacher’s comments and
also asks both children and teacher to ‘sign’ confirmation that
they have discussed the writing features.
ƒƒ Teacher-pupil discussion is prompted
About this book
ƒƒ Teacher assessment is catered for
This book is for Year 6 children.
ƒƒ A signed record is produced.
Lesson plan
There are 5 books with CDs in the Active Writers series:
ƒƒ Year 2 (Ages 6-7)
Use the lesson as early work. Begin by asking the children to
define the genre. Return to the definition in later weeks. Ask
the children if they need to amend their definition.
Exemplar text
ƒƒ Year 4 (Ages 8-9)
An exemplar text is supplied with each lesson plan. Texts
will cover a variety of genres to give children experience of a
wide range of texts.
ƒƒ Year 5 (Ages 9-10)
Writing skills practice
ƒƒ Year 3 (Ages 7-8)
ƒƒ Narrative
Use the practice pages for emphasis on the writing skills
identified in the exemplar text. Most of the class should
complete Sections A and B; less able children will do Section
A only; the most able will progress to the end of the pages.
In general class reading, point out examples of the writing
devices.
ƒƒ Non-fiction
Writing task
ƒƒ Year 6 (Ages 10-11)
Each book is divided into three broad text categories:
ƒƒ Poetry.
There are 12 fully planned lessons, each accompanied by an
exemplar text in a different genre. Many of these texts which
are original extracts from well known authors, with 6 lesson
plans for Narrative, 4 for Non-fiction and 2 for Poetry.
6
This is the culmination of the lesson: children applying what
they have learned in their writing feature. Encourage the
children to use the guide to plan and do initial drafts, before
their final editing results in a polished version.
Self-assessment sheet
Encourage the children to think carefully about their answers
Active Writers – Year 6
and comments. Make sure your discussion with the children
over their writing is meaningful, offering positive advice
about where they can improve and asking them to view the
signatures as important evidence of their work. Keep the
sheet as filed evidence of the learner’s progress.
ƒƒ A differentiated writing frame for a lower level of ability
ƒƒ The exemplar texts
ƒƒ Answers and additional resources.
Using the CD
Each book includes a CD for easy use on the Interactive
Whiteboard. The CD contains:
Sample lesson plan
Title of the text
Genre and definition
Lesson objective
This indicates the focus of the lesson and is a reminder of the need to view the text as a writer.
Warm up activity
Features
Writing investigation
Independent writing
This part should be done first, with the purpose of
orientating the children with the exemplar text, its genre
and some key writing characteristics.
Ask the children:
This part is addressed to the children. It frequently
encourages partner discussion and written recording as the
children examine the text’s style and writing techniques.
This is a reference tool. It guides the teacher, provides
answers, and can be displayed for the children’s reference
during ‘Independent writing’.
Ask the children:
This is the main part of the lesson. It involves further
examination of the exemplar text – for example, how the
writer has sketched characters – and asks for similar writing
from the children.
Differentiation
This part provides extension and support work for children with those needs. It links to tasks in ‘Independent writing’.
Plenary
This offers opportunities for self and peer assessment of the independent writing and reinforces understanding of the
writing features.
Active Writers – Year 6
7
Loveliest of trees
Poetry: Finding a voice
Definition: “A poem that expresses powerfully the writer’s thoughts and feelings about a particular issue.”
Lesson objective
To recognise that writers may use poetry to express their thoughts about subjects important to them.
Warm up activity
Features
ƒƒ Ask the children to explain to a partner what the reading
technique of scanning is. (Looking over a text very
quickly.) Agree on a class definition.
Literary devices
(for example:
onomatopoeia,
alliteration,
assonance)
ƒƒ Display the exemplar poem for a minute or two for the
children to scan. Afterwards, with the poem removed, can
they write down one word that they noticed?
ƒƒ When the children hold up their words, invite them to
look around. Talk about the words being held up. Ask: Are
they all on the same theme? Which ones relate to nature?
Which words relate to a person? Point out where children
have made the same choice.
Effective
imagery
Appropriate
vocabulary
Personal
thoughts and
feelings about
the issue
A topic or issue
meaningful to the
writer
What to look out for
A relationship
between the
poem and its
title
Powerful
expression
of ideas
A clear message to
the reader
Writing investigation
Independent writing
ƒƒ Re-read the poem. Investigate the language in Verses 1
and 2. What alliteration is used? (bloom, bough; wearing
white; seventy springs score)
ƒƒ Take turns with a partner to read verses aloud to each
other. Discuss the punctuation and sentence construction.
(Only commas and full stops are used. Each verse consists
of one sentence.)
Ask the children:
ƒƒ What age is three score years and ten? (Seventy.)
ƒƒ How important is pattern generally to this poem? (Verses
have the same number of lines.) Is there rhyme? Is there
a rhyme pattern? Support your answers with textual
references. (There is this rhyme pattern: AABB.)
Ask the children:
ƒƒ What are verses 1 and 3 about? (What can be seen from
the woodland ride in spring.) What is Verse 2 about? (The
length of the poet’s life and how many more times he
can see this scene.) Which word in Verse 2 emphasise the
poet’s realisation that he ought to use every spring he has
left? (only)
ƒƒ In your own words, write a paragraph explaining the issue
addressed in this poem and summarising the writer’s view
about living his life and being aware of nature. Which
lines best sum up Housman’ s message to the reader? (The
poem’s final three lines.)
Differentiation
ƒƒ More confident writers may work completely independently and write a new verse to insert between Verses 2 and 3.
ƒƒ Less confident writers may discuss the poem and their answers with a partner before writing.
Plenary
Read aloud the unseen Verse 1 for the children to sketch the image brought to mind. Share pictures. Do they show
blossoming trees, a wide pathway (ride), snow? Afterwards examine the text to see how Housman creates his images.
(A superlative adjective opens the poem; alliteration (bloom, bough); personification (Wearing.) Share the children’s
summaries of the writer’s attitude to nature from the ‘Independent task’. Agree that he focuses on one season and place in
this poem, but is probably concerned about nature generally and the need to appreciate our environment.
74
Active Writers – Year 6
Loveliest of trees
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
A. E. Housman
Active Writers – Year 6 75
Practice in Writing Skills 1
Alliteration
and assonance
Alliteration is the use of the same phoneme (unit of sound) to
begin adjacent or closely connected words.
firmly fixed; majestic and mighty; gnawing the nodes
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in adjacent or closely
connected words.
between the trees; time cries; hop-scotch
Section A
Section B
Underline the alliteration in each sentence. The
Add to or alter these sentences in order to use
first sentence is done for you.
either alliteration or assonance. Use at least
three examples of each, indicating which you
The winter woodland stretched ahead.
have used. The first one is done for you.
Pines pushed and pulled me.
The forest stretches for miles.
Birch swung and swayed in the wind.
The forest stretches in lines for miles. Assonance
A carpet of leaves covered the floor.
Tall trees stand.
Underline the use of assonance in each
sentence. The first sentence is done for you.
I tread with care.
Birch trees swayed and waved in the wind.
A deer roams free.
The line of pine trees formed a path.
Trees shed their load.
Deer roamed near me as I strolled.
A rabbit flashed, dashing forward.
Leaves drop to the ground.
A swift hop left the hunter’s pot defeated.
The wood lives on.
Re-read the exemplar poem. Choose eight
to ten places to add a word that will create
assonance or alliteration with a word already in
the poem. Read your new poem to a partner.
How many of your examples can they identify?
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Active Writers – Year 6
Practice in Writing Skills 2
Onomatopoeia is the use of words that echo sounds
associated with their meaning.
The cage door clanged open and the snake hissed its presence.
Onomatopoeia
Section A
Section B
Choose one onomatopoeic verb from the box
Write sentences using each of these
that you think best describes the sound by
onomatopoeic words appropriately in a
each of the following. The first one is done for
sentence.
you.
trill
crunch
rumble
drone
rustle
twang
splinter
gurgle
slap
crack
screech
cheep
plop
cackle
trill
bump
cackle
rumble
crunch
the noise of newly-hatched birds: cheep
burst
a guitar string being plucked:
an egg-shell being walked on:
roar
a sudden bolt of thunder:
a pebble being dropped into a pond:
gush
dry autumn leaves being blown about:
water running down the plug hole:
a door with a rusty hinge being opened:
Read two pages of your current reading book.
a whale hitting its tail down on the surface
Identify six to eight uses of onomatopoeia.
of the water:
Quote the phrases involved and underline the
onomatopoeic words.
Active Writers – Year 6
77